Sam Smith's model boyfriend Jay Camilleri reveals how eating disorders saw him shrink to 7 stone and wear a tiny 26in waist

Model Jay Camilleri has revealed how his determination to make it in the fashion world left him battling anorexia and bulimia.

The 25-year-old Londoner, who is dating Sam Smith, has told how he wore women's 26in waist jeans (a size 8) after skipping meals and going to the gym twice a day.

The model and former reality star has recently spoken out about how he and his famous new squeeze bonded over their past issues with weight.

Jay Camilleri, 25, weighed seven-and-a-half stone at his lowest weight and would wear women's 26in waist jeans, pictured on a shoot when anorexic 

Reality TV star Jay, who found fame on who found fame on E4 show Dirty Sexy Things in 2011, started modelling after being signed aged 19 and became anorexic and bulimic, pictured after his recovery

Jay, who found fame on E4 show Dirty Sexy Things in 2011, now hopes to set up a charity for the friends and family of people suffering with eating ­disorders - and he reportedly hopes his new beau will be patron.

Talking about his former battle, he told FEMAIL: 'If I was shooting I wouldn’t eat for days beforehand to make me look slimmer.'

He was determined to become a model and once he was signed by an agent aged 19, he appeared in campaigns for Topman, Kurt Geiger and Puma.

He only recovered when his friend forced him to eat a plate of food at a restaurant when he was aged 20.

Although he admits it's still a 'constant struggle,' Jay now weighs 12 stone and feels happier and healthier.

Jay and boyfriend Sam Smith are likely to have plenty in common after the Stay With Me singer recently shed three stone.

Jay, who is bisexual, is now reportedly dating singer Sam Smith, pictured with presenter Ellen DeGeneres, after they met recently and hit it off

Jay, pictured on holiday as a child, was 16 stone by the age of 15. He hated his appearance and was bullied because of his weight

He cut back on carbs and eliminated dairy from his diet to completely transform his body after reading nutritionist Amelia Freer’s book Eat, Nourish, Grow.

Model Jay - who has previously been linked with Chloe Madeley, actor Kieran Richardson and former Hollyoaks actress and Big Brother star Stephanie Davis - told the Mirror: 'It’s early days with Sam and I, but we have been hanging out a lot having drinks, like at Shoreditch House. People have noticed...

'I suffered hell with anorexia and now I love my food and put on weight if I’m not careful. Sam’s lost weight but he’s supportive.' 

Talking about his body issues, Jay revealed that he was overweight as a child and weighed 16 stone by the age of 15.

He said: 'I couldn't stop, I kept on eating and eating. I'd come home from school and raid the cupboards. 

'My favourite was salted crisps and Quavers. I was unhappy with my weight, so I ate. Kid used to call me "Fat gay Jay" at school.' 

Jay, who skipped meals and exercised twice a day, was so thin a tattooist refused to finish a inking on his spine as it was too bony, pictured on a modelling shoot while anorexic

Jay, left, was determined to model and appeared in campaigns for Topman, Kurt Geiger and Puma, pictured after his recovery 

To distract from his size, he became rebellious and would misbehave in school. He also realised from a young age that he was bisexual. 

But as he became older, instead of binging on foods, he began missing meals when he went out with friends.

He said: 'I started out a lot of the time skipping meals. It became a habit for me and the weight kept coming off.'

Jay used his party lifestyle as an excuse and by aged 18, he weighed eight stone.

He said: 'You could see my ribs. I was getting a tattoo on my spine and the tattooist refused to carry on because he said it was just going into bone.'

But Jay was happy with what he saw in the mirror as he tried to shake off the bullying from his childhood.

He said: 'I was getting a salad from a coffee shop and this woman turned around and told me "you need to eat, you look starving". I just said "thanks", I knew she was making a dig but I just saw myself looking great.'

Jay, pictured when he started modelling aged 18, distanced himself from friends and family so they would not notice his eating disorders

Jay would throw up when he did have to eat and wore an XS top and women's 26in waist jeans, pictured after his recovery

Jay was still pursuing his modelling dream and had cut his family out by that point, because they realised he was not well.

He said: 'They were forcing me to eat. I'd make my excuses not to see my friends too.

'If I had to go for a family meal I would throw up after.'

In his quest to get signed Jay was obsessed with his size and at his smallest, wore XS tops and women's 26in waist jeans.

He regularly went to agencies on drop-in days but was rejected by many for his 5ft 11in height.

He experienced 'rejection after rejection' but would alter his appearance and go back.

Even when Jay was offered two agencies in one day and was signed aged 19, it didn't give him the acceptance he hoped for.

He said: 'I hated the way I looked.'

On top of skipping meals, Jay would say he was 'going to castings' to hid how much exercise he was doing at the gym and even kept it from the man he was dating at the time.

He would work out six times a week, twice a day, although he would do only cardio and 'light weights' as he didn't want to build muscle mass.

He said: 'I'd do an hour of cardio, and an hour of weights in the evening. I pushed weights to tone up, I didn't want to get any bigger.'

Jay would work out six times a week, twice a day, although he would do only cardio and 'light weights' as he didn't want to build muscle mass, pictured while anorexic

Jay says he would panic for days if a topless shoot was coming up or 'freak out' if it was sprung on him, pictured now at a healthier weight

He said: 'I've got really broad shoulders so I carried [being skinny] well. It just looked like how the T-shirt hung.

'At the beginning, I never did topless shoots but then I had to.' 

He would panic for days if a topless shoot was coming up or 'freak out' if it was sprung on him.

Even though the half-naked pictures made him feel 'sick' to look at, Jay said it was a confidence boost when they were published.

But his agency soon noticed how much his weight would fluctuate.

Jay said: 'I know some people have bad experiences, particularly women, but in men's [modelling] no one wants a skinny boy.

'My agency would tell me when I was too skinny and stop me modelling for a while. My agents were the best.'

Jay now wants to help other young men going through eating disorders and hopes to work with charities, pictured after his recovery

Jay has been left with painful stomach cramps and his teeth were 'seriously eroded' after he starved his body for years, pictured

Jay recently had dental surgery to correct his teeth in Budapest and feels happier and healthier after gaining four stone in the past five years

But although Jay put on a small amount of weight, going up to nine stone to keep them happy, he was still hiding his eating disorders. 

It was when Jay was aged 20 that his friend helped him to tackle his illness.

He took him to a restaurant and ordered dinner, telling Jay they were not leaving until he had eaten everything.

It was the push Jay needed to get help and after having counselling he gained four stone in five years.

However he admits he still suffers painful stomach cramps and his teeth are 'seriously eroded' after what he put his body through.

Last month, he flew to Budapest, Hungary, to have a full set of veneers fitted with medical travel facilitator Medigo. 

Jay now wants to help other young men battling eating disorders by raising awareness of the issue.

He said: 'It's still not really spoken about with guys. Asking for help is something to be proud of not ashamed of.'